Newton:
"The people at the checkpoints were very, very nice. Sometimes on the trail I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know if I was still on the trail and it was very cold. But we find the trail again and get to the checkpoint. One man leave his house and let us take it over for a checkpoint. There was two bedroom upstairs and the downstairs for everybody to use. Everybody was very encouraging and it was a good race but it was hard. At the end people was laughin' a lot. Lance Mackey shake my hand a lot and ask me how many in my family mush. I tell him, "No one! They think I am a mad man!". People was real nice and it was cold but it was a very good race. I feel good that I did it." "The open water was the worst thing on the trail. I was really scared when I saw that. We had to go so close to it. It was cold, cold, and there was black water open in the ice running under the ice. Would we go too close and would the ice break? I had to not think and I had to get by it."
Hans:
"As usual with the Copper Basin it was the worst trail and the toughest conditions imaginable for a 300 mile race. There is nothing on the Quest trail that is worse than some of the things Newton saw in the Copper Basin. It was at least minus 40 at the start line. There were sections 10 miles long of deep sugar snow with no trail. Chad Lindner had to walk his dogs 20 miles into the finish line after they quit on him. He had camped 6 hours but they would not get started again. He had run out of food and people were giving him things, but finally he said it's time to go and he walked that team 20 miles to the finish line, holding the neck line of the leaders. It took him 17 hours to walk that 20 miles. That tells you about the trail." "Newton did a great job. To do a 300 mile run is one thing, but this 300 miles is something else. It is not flat, it is 300 miles of mountains, open water, deep snow at temperatures ranging down to minus 50. Normand Cassavant from Quebec, who has been running dogs for 20 years but this is his first race in the north, said this is the hardest thing he has ever done. Not just dog racing, but anything he has ever done. He just did not expect it. The Copper Basin is the toughest 300 mile race period, and this year was no different."
"The people at the checkpoints were very, very nice. Sometimes on the trail I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know if I was still on the trail and it was very cold. But we find the trail again and get to the checkpoint. One man leave his house and let us take it over for a checkpoint. There was two bedroom upstairs and the downstairs for everybody to use. Everybody was very encouraging and it was a good race but it was hard. At the end people was laughin' a lot. Lance Mackey shake my hand a lot and ask me how many in my family mush. I tell him, "No one! They think I am a mad man!". People was real nice and it was cold but it was a very good race. I feel good that I did it." "The open water was the worst thing on the trail. I was really scared when I saw that. We had to go so close to it. It was cold, cold, and there was black water open in the ice running under the ice. Would we go too close and would the ice break? I had to not think and I had to get by it."
Hans:
"As usual with the Copper Basin it was the worst trail and the toughest conditions imaginable for a 300 mile race. There is nothing on the Quest trail that is worse than some of the things Newton saw in the Copper Basin. It was at least minus 40 at the start line. There were sections 10 miles long of deep sugar snow with no trail. Chad Lindner had to walk his dogs 20 miles into the finish line after they quit on him. He had camped 6 hours but they would not get started again. He had run out of food and people were giving him things, but finally he said it's time to go and he walked that team 20 miles to the finish line, holding the neck line of the leaders. It took him 17 hours to walk that 20 miles. That tells you about the trail." "Newton did a great job. To do a 300 mile run is one thing, but this 300 miles is something else. It is not flat, it is 300 miles of mountains, open water, deep snow at temperatures ranging down to minus 50. Normand Cassavant from Quebec, who has been running dogs for 20 years but this is his first race in the north, said this is the hardest thing he has ever done. Not just dog racing, but anything he has ever done. He just did not expect it. The Copper Basin is the toughest 300 mile race period, and this year was no different."
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2 comments:
I just wanted to tell Newton what a great job he did at the CB300. As a fellow musher I congratulate you on your personal toughness and getting through one tough trail (during a REALLY cold weekend). As a veterinarian I was impressed with your dog care. Your whole team looked fabulous. I look forward to seeing you at the finish of the Quest.
Renee Rember (Head Vet, Copper Basin 300)
ps. Could you PLEASE tell Jimmy that we REALLY need him up here--just one concert in the winter would be AWESOME! I am a parrothead from Florida and have been jonesing for a show since arriving in Fairbanks 3 years ago!!
Great Job Newton! Good luck in the Yukon Quest.
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